Sushi with Avocado, Tofu Omelet, and Pickled Mustard Seeds

I’ve been reading a sandwich cookbook this week and was inspired to make a tofu omelet in a cake pan to have on sandwiches. Another recipe in the cookbook called for pickled mustard seeds, and since I have a giant jar of brown mustard seeds in the pantry, I had to give them a try. I was already planning on sushi this weekend, and putting these recipes all together resulting in sushi that was a lot more interesting (and prettier!) than the plain avocado rolls I’ve made before.

Sushi with Avocado, Tofu Omelet, and Pickled Mustard Seeds

Pickled mustard seeds:

I only made half of this recipe, from ‘wichcraft, by Tom Colicchio and Sisha Ortuzar. These will keep up to 2 weeks. The seeds only have a faint mustard taste, but their texture is wonderful. They pop in your mouth.

1 cup white vinegar (I used rice vinegar)

1 cup water

1 cup sugar

1 tablespoon dry mustard

1/2 cup mustard seeds

In a small saucepan, bring vinegar, water, sugar and dry mustard to a boil. Add mustard seeds and simmer for 5 minutes, or until the seeds nearly double in size. Store in the refrigerator in with their liquid. Makes about 1 cup.

Tofu Omelet:

You only need 1/4 of this for the sushi, but the remainder makes great sandwiches.

12 ounces firm, water-pack tofu, drained

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 tablespoon mirin or water

3 tablespoons all-purpose flour

2 tablespoons nutritional yeast flakes

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon turmeric

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1/4 teaspoon garlic powder

1/4 teaspoon onion powder

Preheat oven to 400 F.

Combine tofu, olive oil and mirin or water in a food processor until creamy. Transfer to a small bowl and stir in remaining ingredients. Spread batter into a well-oiled 8 x 8 inch pan. Bake for 25 minutes or until firm and golden.

Omelet will puff up in the oven, then fall as it cools.

Cut into 4 squares.

Sushi rice:

If you don’t see anything labeled Sushi Rice at the store, look for Calrose Medium Grain Rice.

1 1/2 cups sushi rice

water

3 tablespoons rice vinegar

2 1/2 teaspoons sugar (2 heaping teaspoons)

pinch of salt

Cook rice according to package directions.

Or, add rice to a small pan with a tight-fitting lid, along with 2 cups of water. Bring to a low boil, reduce to a simmer, and cover. Cook without stirring for 15 minutes, or until water is absorbed.

Stir together vinegar, sugar and salt.

Transfer rice to a medium bowl and sprinkle with the vinegar mixture. Stir rice well, cover bowl, and allow rice to cool. (You can cool it just enough to be able to handle it, or all the way to room temperature.)

Putting it all together:

4 sheets nori

sushi rice

about 3 teaspoons pickled mustard seeds

1/4 piece of tofu omelet, cut into 8 strips

1 small hass avocado, sliced

1 green onion, green parts only, sliced lengthwise into thin strips

you will also need:

a bamboo sushi mat

a small bowl with 1/4 cup rice vinegar and 1/4 cup water

a very sharp knife

and to serve:

prepared wasabi

pickled ginger slices

soy sauce

Lay a sheet of nori on the bamboo mat. Place a cup of rice in the nori, and spread to the right, left and front edge, leaving about an inch, maybe a little more, at the back. Layer on three slices of avocado, two strips of omelet, a strip or two of green onion and 3/4 teaspoon of mustard seeds.

Dip your fingers in the vinegar and water mixture as you work, to keep the rice from sticking to your hands. Also, wet your knife with the mixture frequently.

Roll up the bamboo mat while using your fingers to guide the roll into a cylinder. Press firmly on the mat as you work. Move the roll to a cutting board and slice.

Makes 4 rolls.

Here’s a video from about.com if you want to watch someone make a roll. She makes it look a lot easier than I can!

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Finally, here’s a goof on myself. I have a reputation In Real Life for being very organized. My sister once opened a cabinet and sighed “everything in its place and a place for everything.” Recently at the grocery store, after I unloaded about 50 things onto the conveyor belt from a little cart like this, the cashier said “I just don’t know how you got all that in there. I’d like to follow you home and see if your house was that organized.” Well, I’m exactly as organized as I need to be.